Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Effect on DementedPatients

AbstractBackground: Elderly individuals with dementia are sus-ceptible to a decline in physical functioning and activities ofdaily living that leads to a decline in their mobility andparticipation in life.Aim of Study: To investigate the effectiveness of transcra-nial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) on improving mobilityin patients with dementia.Material and Methods: A double-blinded, randomized,sham-controlled trial was conducted and approved by theInstitutional Review Board of the Faculty of Physical Therapy,Cairo University, Egypt. The study setting was the outpatientclinic of dementia, Kasr Al-Ainy Hospital, Faculty of Medicine,Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt. Participants were 29 dementedpatients randomly divided into two groups; intervention (n=16;mean age 62.98±10.11 years) and sham (n=13, mean age60.23±7.57 years) groups.Intervention was one 20 minutes session of active or shamtDCS. Patients in the intervention group received active tDCSfor 20 minutes by applying an intensity of (2mA) using amontage with the cathode over site PZ and the anode oversite AF4. Patients in the sham group received a sham tDCSfor 20 minutes as well; however, the current was ramped upto 1mA and remain constant for 30 seconds before rampingdown. Outcomes measures used were the Timed Up and GOtest (TUG) and the 10 Meter Walk Test (10MWT). Outcomemeasures were recorded before (pre-stimulation) and afterinterventions (post-stimulation) for all participants in bothgroups.Results: Post-stimulation, a statistically significant changein both of the TUG and 1 0MWT (p < 0.05) was detected onlyin the intervention group. No serious adverse effects werereported in either group.Conclusion: The transcranial direct current stimulationcan enhance motor function in demented patients. Becausethe transcranial direct current stimulation is a non-invasivetherapeutic method, it can be suggested as a useful tool toimprove locomotor performance in patients with dementia.